Google says schools can turn AI and Search on after backlash

Google faced a sharp political reaction on Tuesday after reports said it would limit students’ access to Search at schools that do not want to use its AI tools. The reports, first published by the New York Times, drew criticism from several politicians who said the plan pushed artificial intelligence into classrooms. Google has since changed how it describes the policy.

What Google says has changed

Google now says that its Gemini chatbot, the Gemini Notebook tool and Search are all switched off unless a school chooses to enable them. A school can turn on any of the three individually, or all of them together. The company presents this as a way of giving education customers more choice and control.

In its reply on X, Google also said it is changing Search for schools. It says AI Mode and AI Overviews will guide students through problems one step at a time, so pupils are less likely to receive finished answers to homework.

The New York Times reported the policy, and in comments to the paper, Chris Phillips, Google’s vice-president overseeing education, said “Search and AI are deeply integrated.” CNBC reports that Google’s reply did not directly address the claim that Search depends on AI. TechCrunch reports that students at schools that opt out would see a message saying Search was unavailable.

Political criticism

Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont accused Google of threatening schools and described the policy as extortion. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani argued that Google was using monopoly power and that no company should decide how children are taught. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the company seemed more focused on placing Gemini in schools than on helping students learn.

Lina Khan, a former chair of the Federal Trade Commission, the US consumer and competition regulator, called the decision anticompetitive. She pointed to court rulings that found Google liable for breaking antitrust laws, and argued that allowing an unregulated monopoly to control an essential service is dangerous. CNBC notes that Google has lost court battles involving its search and advertising operations.

Why educators are worried

Educators are concerned that the AI overviews built into Google Search could discourage students from working out answers for themselves. Search is a basic research tool, and for millions of students who rely on Chromebooks and Google’s education apps, switching to a different search engine is not a simple fix.

The Economic Times reports that teachers, child development specialists and families have raised concerns since August, the month Google made its Gemini chatbot available to many K-12 students in Google Classroom. K-12 refers to school years from kindergarten to the final year of secondary school. The Economic Times places the dispute within that longer period of unease.

Google describes a tool called Guided Learning that aims to walk students through a task instead of handing over the result. TechCrunch gives the example of a maths student who is prompted to recall the rules for dividing exponents rather than being given a number.

Wider scrutiny and what happens next

CNBC reports that Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group, has rated Google’s AI overviews as posing an unacceptable level of risk. Senators Blumenthal and Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, have also launched an inquiry into Google’s push of AI into classrooms.

CNBC places the debate within a wider pattern. It notes that Meta reached a $16.7 billion settlement in a child safety trial in August, and that OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens the same month after state attorneys general raised concerns about its safety practices.

The sources do not say whether the inquiry will lead to any action against Google. Google has said it will keep working with educators to provide more choice and controls. How schools use the new settings, and whether the policy changes again, remains to be seen.

Frequently asked questions

What did Google change after the backlash?

Google says its Gemini chatbot, Gemini Notebook and Search are off by default for schools, and each can be switched on separately. The company says this gives schools more control.

Why did people object to the original plan?

Critics said that linking access to Search with the use of AI amounted to pushing AI into schools. Some described it as extortion and said Google’s market power was being used unfairly.

What is Guided Learning?

Guided Learning is a feature Google describes as walking students through a problem or task, rather than simply handing over the answer. Google says it is part of its work for schools.